The Past, Our Common Ground
by pandorabox82
Summary: A case in Miami brings Derek Morgan face to face with a friend from the past. How will he deal with having to comfort the one woman who took care of him during his undercover days? And how will his team react to his knowing a victim in such an odd way?


"We're heading down to Miami."

"Again? What is up with Florida this summer? The Red Cell has been down there twice already, and now us?" Morgan asked, looking at the pictures of the crime scenes, shuddering slightly. Looking up at his Baby Girl, he saw that she was having a hard time dealing with them as well.

"Florida is a magnet for all things awful, Sugar," she said lowly. "It has to be the humidity, does something to the brain."

"Yes, well, be that as it may, this is already all over the airwaves, since the girlfriend of a WTVJ producer was one of the ones murdered. We'll be meeting her once we land." Aaron gave him a look and Morgan shrugged.

"What's his name?" Reid asked, and Hotch smiled.

"Her name is Kerry Weaver." Morgan's head shot up out of his iPad and stared at Hotch. "Do you know her?"

"I know the name. Do we have a picture of her?" Hotch shook his head. "Damn, well, it is a somewhat common name. We'll just have to see when we get there."

"Wheels up in thirty everyone." The others stood and left the room, and he was alone with Penelope.

"Stay safe out there. I don't like it when you guys go to Florida. Nothing good ever comes of it." He nodded and held out his arm, hugging her quickly. "We'll have dinner when you get back, and I'll make your favorite."

"Now that is a promise I am going to hold you to, Baby Girl." He softly kissed the side of her head and then let go of her. "We'll be back soon, I promise."

She nodded, watching him join the others. As he walked out the glass doors to head to the elevator, he waved to her and she waved back. Dave joined them from the direction of Strauss's office and they rode down to the garage together. It didn't take long to get to the airfield and they were soon in the air.

On the way down, they discussed theories of what could possibly be going on. "Wait, guys, I think we overlooked something here. All of these women were in long term relationships with women. I think the unsub is targeting them based on their sexuality."

"That seems kind of obvious, Reid. What makes you so sure?"

"It's the only common factor amongst them. They're not the same age, race, socio-economic status. This unites them."

The others nodded and began to bounce new theories off each other. Morgan lost himself in thought. It couldn't be her, there was no way. He'd left that world in the past when he'd left Chicago.

Finally, they touched down in Miami and he drove them all to the precinct. As they entered the building, he heard a voice he recognized from his youth. "I don't care whose arm you have to twist, I want answers, now!" The fiery redhead held her index finger millimeters away from the police chief's chest, and he looked ready to explode at her in anger. "We were going to be married, dammit!"

Morgan heard the break in her voice and knew he had to step in. "Dr. Weaver?" She whirled around and stared at him, obviously trying to figure out who he was and how he knew her. "Hotch, I'll talk with her. You guys go get everything set up." The other man nodded and moved off with the chief while he led the tiny woman over to an empty interrogation room.

"Do I know you?" she asked skeptically, tugging her arm out of his as she sat at the table. "You used to, back in the day. I'm Agent Derek Morgan, with the FBI. You used to work at County General."

She nodded and narrowed her eyes, taking stock of him, trying to figure out how he knew about her past. "I did, for a while. How did you know that?"

He watched her relax a little in her chair, noticing for the first time that her crutch was gone. "I used to live in Chicago myself. Worked undercover to infiltrate some of the gangs. Got cut up and shot at more times than I care to count."

A flicker of recognition flared in her eyes. "Damon…"

"In the flesh. I could never thank you properly, it would have blown my cover. I know I treated you and your staff badly, but it was all part of the role I had to play."

A bright smile grew on her face. "I knew you were too good of a kid to be in a gang. You were the only one who ever called me ma'am rather bitch or ho." The smile died as her thoughts obviously turned to her girlfriend and why he was there. "Are you going to catch him?"

"We're going to try our best. Why don't you explain to me what happened."

She nodded hesitantly and looked down at her clasped hands. "Cora and I had fought that night, and she took off. I couldn't leave my son alone, and I knew she would come back to me, eventually. She always did. Whenever we fought, we always made up, and it was worth the fight." A few tears splashed down on the table. "It was different this time, she never came home, and I never got to give her the ring I bought. Then I found out this had happened to other women in the Miami area and I had to do something, I'm a producer for a television station for God's sake. So I made their stories public knowledge. It was the only thing I could do."

He nodded, knowing that she was right, for her position. But it made their job that much harder, as it gave the unsub more power over them. Looking up, he saw Hotch and Rossi staring in at them, their lips pursed tightly. "If you'll excuse me just a moment, Dr. Weaver, I have to go talk to my team." She nodded and he stood up, going over to the door. He slipped outside and sighed. "Yeah, Hotch?"

"We have a lead, but you need to keep her occupied while we investigate. I do not want this to end up splashed all over the news before we're ready to strike. It's a good thing that you know her, I would hate to have Reid or Jayje in there, trying to keep her calm."

"Hotch, man, why are you regulating me to babysitting duty? Can't we have one of the cops watch her?"

"None of them want to. She's been in here every single day since her girlfriend was murdered, harassing them with questions and demands for answers. They're afraid of her at this point." Rossi was smirking at Hotch's words and Morgan just shook his head.

"Fine. I guess this is just one less door that will be kicked down today." Dave actually patted him on the shoulder as they made their way out the door with the others. Reid looked back in sympathy as they went and he half-heartedly waved to the kid before going back inside the small room.

"Where are they going?" Her voice was sharp and had that odd mixture of fear and anger to it that most families of victims took on when the FBI became involved. He sat down next to her this time, and she swiveled to look him in the eye. "I asked you a question, dammit!"

"Dr. Weaver…"

"I'm not her anymore. Call me Kerry or Weaver, whichever you prefer. I don't like to think of my time there."

"Why? You were a good doctor. You cared for the marginalized people so much more than your colleagues." She smiled for a moment, and he reached out for her hand. Hesitantly, she clasped it, and he squeezed gently. "I can't help but notice that your cane is gone. Did you have an accident that caused you to use it back then?"

"No, actually, I had hip dysplasia. The surgery a few years ago fixed that. It's still a little odd to walk without a limp or have my hip not tell me when a storm is coming in." Slowly, she relaxed, her walls starting to come down. She looked at her watch. "I need to pick Henry up from school now. Should I bring him back here with me?"

Without thinking, he replied, "I'll go with you. A little kid shouldn't be in a police station for any other reason than a tour." She nodded shortly and stood, with him following her. "So, is Henry…?"

"He's my son with Sandy Lopez. She was a firefighter in Chicago." Her words were short, clipped, and he knew in an instant that something bad must have happened to this Sandy. Nodding, he opened the door for her and they went over to a large black SUV.

"Even now, I can't escape these cars," he muttered as he got in the passenger seat. His phone rang and he answered. "Hey, Baby Girl, what's up?"

"Why aren't you with the others? I have news for us, Sugar."

"And that would be?"

"We're going to London! Pack your bags when you get back, we leave next week."

"What?"

"Yeah, Strauss is setting up some sort of inter-office relationship with the London branch of Interpol, since Em is taking over there. I cannot wait to stalk Prince William!"

"That won't happen, honey, we'll have work to do, I'm sure." He looked over at Kerry, seeing how white her knuckles were on the wheel of the car. "So, what are the others doing right now?"

"They've managed to track down the unsub. The idiot muffed up, and tried to take another woman in broad daylight. Right now, they're on their way to where the two are holed up. Why aren't you with them?"

"I have another assignment today, since I know one of those involved." They stopped in front of a small elementary school and he watched the transformation that came over Kerry as she tried to put on a brave, happy, face for her son. As soon as she exited the vehicle, he spoke once more. "The producer at WTVJ? I knew her back when she was Dr. Kerry Weaver in Chicago. She patched me up more times than I can count during my undercover days."

"Oh, my gosh, what a small world, Der. Watch over her, then. It's going to be rough seeing everything go down."  
"I'm going to try and keep them away from the television. Her son shouldn't see this, either, Penny. I'll see you when we get home, then. I love you.

"Love you, too, Sugar Bear." They hung up and he smiled, watching for Kerry and her son to return. The little boy bounced to the car, and he saw a bit of himself in the kid. Kerry opened his door and he got in, talking a mile a minute.

"…and John said that Miss Jolene was pregnant, and she had him sit in the timeout chair for gossip. After explaining to us that she was taking a medicine that made her gain weight, and it made her look like she was going to have a baby." He paused to take a breath. "And then we learned about how Pluto got another moon, even though it's not a planet anymore. Which Miss Jolene thinks is totally unfair, since Pluto had been a planet forever, in her terms. Who are you?"

The child's gaze focused on him as Kerry got behind the wheel once more. "Henry, this is Agent Derek Morgan with the FBI. He's here to help find the man who hurt Cora."

Henry smiled at him widely. "Do you get to carry a gun, like the police do?" Derek nodded. "Can I see it?"

"Maybe when we get home, Hen." She even called her son by the same nickname as Jayje, and it tugged tightly at Derek's heartstrings. "Now, do you have any homework?"

"At seven? They give them homework at seven?" Kerry looked at him like he was behind the times and nodded. "Man, when I was seven, all I had to worry about was listening and playing. I'm sure there were other things we learned in the first grade, but that's what I remember. What, do they make you write papers, too?"

Henry nodded solemnly. "Uh huh. I wrote a paper about my puppy the other week. We have a break coming up, and Mama's taking me to Disney World. I hope that makes us feel better. I miss Cora." His lower lip wobbled and Morgan knew he was close to tears.

"I know you do, baby. But I told you that she's in Heaven now and you can talk to her any time you want, it's just that she can't talk back to you anymore." Kerry's voice sounded thick with unshed tears and the sadness in the car hurt his heart.

He managed to keep it together until they pulled into the drive of a nice ranch style home. There were toys in the front yard and he could just make out the edge of a swing set in the back yard. Getting out, Henry ran on ahead to the back, while Kerry and Derek followed at a more leisurely pace. "They're going to take down the unsub today. He has a hostage. They might not bring him out alive."

She stopped him, placing a soft arm on his upper arm. He met her gaze steadily, watched her eyes fill with tears. "No, they have to bring him to justice. He has to pay for what he did. Death is the easy way out, he needs to sit in a prison cell for the rest of his life for what he did to our families. Dammit, can't you tell them that?" Her face crumpled as she began to sob. Henry ran up to her, throwing his arms around her waist and hugging her tightly.

"I wish I could, Kerry. But this is classic SBC." She nodded, recognizing his acronym for suicide by cop. Slowly, he closed his arms around her and she broke down completely, the sobs shuddering through her body. He rubbed her back, knowing that his Baby Girl was calmed by such soothing motions.

Eventually, she pulled away from him, her tears leaving messy mascara tracks on her cheeks. "They always get off too easy, you know. Nothing can fix the hurt they leave behind. I saw it so often in my ER, and I had thought that by accepting this job I had removed myself from the up close tragedy. I guess Fate wasn't through with me yet."

He heard another car pull in the drive and felt her stiffen in his arms. "Are you expecting visitors?"

"No."

"Then stay behind me, and we'll go check it out." Derek drew his gun as he cautiously edged around the side of the house. The car looked like a rental, too shiny and clean to be a regular car, and he glanced back to make sure she had kept a safe distance. As they watched, the doors opened and two women and a man stepped out.

"Maybe she's not here, she could be doing more coverage for the next story," he heard the curly haired woman say, her voice cultured and rich.

"I don't think so, Elizabeth. Look, the hood of her car is still warm," the other woman said, touching it softly.

A strangled sob tore from Kerry's throat once more. "I know them. I used to work with them in Chicago." He nodded and holstered his gun, this time following her out front. "What are you guys doing here?"

The trio turned and the one called Elizabeth rushed forward, wrapping Kerry in a tight hug. "We came as soon as we heard. Luka read about what happened online and we flew over on the redeye. Oh, Kerry, is there anything that we can do?"

He saw that Kerry was hesitant to return the embrace, but finally, her head came to rest on the other woman's shoulder. "The funeral was earlier this week, so there's nothing to do anymore. I'm surprised you came."

"Abby insisted. I know that we left things on bad terms, and I'm sorry for that. I'm starting to learn that life is too short to hold on to grudges. But who's your friend here?"

"This is Agent Derek Morgan, with the FBI. His team is bringing down the man who killed my Cora, and he agreed to stay with me, keep me out of trouble." The others nodded and Kerry led them to the backyard where Henry was still swinging.

"He's gotten so big, Kerry."

"I imagine the Joe has grown just as fast, Abby." They smiled shyly at each other across the picnic table they'd settled at, and Derek could tell that they had been close friends at one point. Unable to listen in on the intimate conversation, he got up and ambled over to where Henry was.

"Hey, Henry, do you want me to push you for a little bit?" He nodded enthusiastically and Morgan pushed him gently, getting the kid high in the air. His childish laughs and giggles reminded him so of JJ's Henry and he wondered how everything was going with the case. They played for another hour or so, and then he noticed the black SUV coming down the street. "I think my friends are here now, Henry. Would you like to go greet them with me?"

He nodded excitedly and Derek slowed the swing down, watching the kid jump off when it was safe enough. "Mama! Agent Morgan's friends are here, and we're going to go greet them!" She looked up from her conversation, a flash of pain crossing her face as she nodded. Henry took hold of Derek's hand and tugged him to the front of the house, stopping by the driveway to wait for the vehicle to park. Derek caught Hotch's eye, nodding slightly to him.

They got out and Henry immediately latched onto Rossi, talking his ear off about catching bad guys while Derek pulled Hotch over to the side. "What happened?"

"He's dead. Suicide by cop. But we did manage to rescue his hostage before he did anything to her. How's your friend holding up?"

"Better now that her friends have arrived, I think. I assume they were also doctors at County General. I vaguely recognize the curly haired one sitting next to her at the picnic table, I think she patched me up once, but the others are mysteries to me. Did he at least suffer a little before he died?"

"It was a gut shot, so yeah, a little."

"Good, maybe that will mollify her a little. She wanted you to bring him in alive, so that he could face justice."

"It's never really fair when they go out like that, is it? The closure offered the families is slimmer than seeing them go through a trial." JJ looked sad as she stared at Henry. "What's his name?"

"Henry." She smiled and joined Rossi and the kid, engaging in their conversation.

"Do you want to give her the news? We should start heading home after this. We have a meeting to attend with Strauss and AD Robinson."

"About London?" Hotch nodded, his brow furrowing in puzzlement. "Garcia called me earlier and filled me in. I'll go let them know and then we can head out."

Moving back over to the picnic table, he took a seat next to Kerry. "He did was you said, didn't he?" He nodded, watching her face for her reaction. It fell instantly and the tears came back in full force. His arm came in contact with Elizabeth's as they reached out to comfort the woman. "Did he suffer?"

"Actually, yes. It was a gut shot, so…"

"It took him a while to bleed out." The European looking man spoke up, and Derek nodded at him. "One of the worst ways to go, Kerry, you know that."

She sighed and leaned into Elizabeth, letting the woman pet her hair. "I know. Just as I knew it wouldn't make me hurt any less."

"I'm sorry that we had to meet again under these circumstances, Dr. Weaver. I'm sorry, we have to get going now." She nodded absently.

"Thank you for taking care of me today, Agent Morgan. I appreciate it more than you know."

Nodding, he pulled out one of his cards. "If you ever want to talk or need us for any reason, just give me a call."

"I will." She turned back to her friends, leaning more against Elizabeth and he got back up, walking away from them. Henry was still talking to Rossi and he looked thoroughly interested in what the young boy was saying.

Morgan came up beside them, squatting down to be on Henry's level. "We have to go home now, Henry. I need you to take care of your mother, okay?" The boy nodded solemnly. "While she looks like she's strong right now, she's going to need lots of hugs and love from you, even when she gets upset or yells at you. Cora's leaving has left a hole in both your hearts, and it will take a long time to heal that kind of wound."

"I know, Agent Morgan." He reached forward and quickly hugged the man. "Have a good trip home!" He ran off, turning to wave at them as he sat next to his mother on the bench. Morgan stood, waving back, and then got in the SUV. It would be a long time before he forgot about Kerry and her son and the strange twists of fate that had brought them together once more.


End file.
